CHANDAULI – A 15-year-old Muslim teenager was allegedly set on fire in Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh, India after he refused to chant Jai Shri Ram.
The boy, who is undergoing treatment at the Kabir Chaura hospital in Varanasi with 60 percent burns, was set ablaze by four people on Sunday, though police contradict the claims.
“I was walking on Dudhari bridge when four men kidnapped me. Two of them tied my hand and third one started pouring kerosene. After which they set me on fire and ran away.” he said and added that he was being forced to chant Jai Shri Ram.
The police dispute the claim about the boy being forced to chant the religious slogan. Chandauli Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar Singh said the boy gave different statements to different people.
“He’s admitted in a hospital with 45 per cent burns,” Singh told Indian media and said it was suspicious as the victim gave different statements to different people.
The policeman admitted that it seems he had been tutored, however, added that the police monitored CCTV footage of places he had mentioned and found that he had not been at any of those places.
The police officer also claimed that witnesses saw the boy set himself on fire.
“The victim was referred to BHU where he changed his statement and told the inspector that four men on a motorcycle kidnapped him and took him to Hateeja village,” Singh shared.
